Electrical appliance for gas-engines.



J. W. JEPSON. ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, 1910.

1,037,485. Patented Sept. 3, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

l l'l'l l l i'l'l a 0Q @Q W W (I. W: JEPSON,

'LLEOFHI(L-BI,: APELIANOE FOR GAS ENGINES;

a (9 FM APPLICATION FILED MAE 2910 N K a x a l 03 485 iauemteu 56p 3, 1913.

l so i A U J 4 W 7 7 373 3 W W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J'QHN W. JEPSON, 0F DEPEW, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO GOULD COUPLER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE FOR GAS-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 3, 1912.

Application filed March. 29, 1910. Serial No. 552,191.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN W. Jnrson, a citizen of the United States, residirg at Depew, Erie county, State of New York, have invented a new and useful Electrical Appliance for Gaslflngines; and in order that those skilled in the art may understand, make, and use my invention I give the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to electrical appliances for motors 0r engines of the class generally known as gas, or internal combustion, engines in which the power is derived from the explosion or combustion of a vapor or gas, or admixture of the same with air, by ignition thereof within the cylinder. Such engines are in common use, particularly for driving road vehicles, motor boats and the like, and my invention is particularly useful. in engines employed for such purposes. As is well known, such engines are usually provided with an electrical ignition system for developing a spark to produce the combos tion or explosion of the gas in the cylinders. The ignition system at present favored is that in which the spark is mechanically generated, as from a magneto driven by the engine; but since the engines are not self starting, and also must be running at speed before the proper voltage for the spark can be generated by the magneto, an additional ignition system'must be provided, as by the employment of batteries, and an induction coil to furnish the initial ignition for starting and running the engine up to speed. Thus a dual ignition system is necessitated involving not only the disadvantages of duplication and complexity of wiring, electrical connections, switches/and the like and the increased expense therefor; but the attention of the operator is burdened with the management, regulation and control of such dual systems including the switching over from battery to magneto and vice versa. Furthermore the characters of spark developed by the two systems differ, tending to produce differei'ices in the operation of the engine.

The objects of my invention are to improve the ignition system and the character of spark; to avoid this dual character of ignitionsystem and thereby to simplify the same; to provide a uniform ignition system attained will appear in the following specification.

Referring to the drawings, which are-diagrammatic in character, Figure 1 represents an ignition svstem embodying my invent-ion for a manually started engine. F ig. 2 represents a similar system of ignition, including an arrangement for dispensing with the manual starting of the engine and rendering the same self-start1ng.

Similar reference numerals are applied when possible to corresponding parts in both views.

As the general arrangement and construction of engines of the character referred to, and their application and connection to the driving parts of vehicles and the like, are well understood, particularly by those skilled in the art, I have shown in the drawings only so much of such engines and connections as are necessary to illustrate the application thereto of my invention and its mode of operation.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the numerals 1, 1 represent apair of engine cylinders having their pistons 2, 2 connected to the engine shaft 3, which may be connected in any desired or conventional manner to the traction wheels of a, vehicle, the propeller of a boat, or any part to be driven. Spark terminals or plugs of the usual jump spark type are shown mounted in the cylinders at 4;, 4, each connected by connections 5, 5 to the sparktimer or distributor indicated at (S, the latter being connected in the ignition circuit connections 7, 7. The timer 6 is mechanicallv operated in conventional manner, well understood; being driven from the engine shaft 3 through the pinion 8 thereon, meshing with gear 9 out-ho timer shaft 10. A hand starting-crank 11 is suitably connected in the usual manner to the engine shaft for starting the engine by hand. T he foregoing features, with the exception of the ignition circuit connections 7 7 (described in detail below), form part of the usual equipmentwt gas engines. In combination with such features, I provide a dynamo-electric machine having an armature 12, mounted on a shaft 13, it suitably arranged journal bearings 14. The armature windings are connected to a commutator 15 mounted at one side thereof on the armature shaft 13; and brushes 16, 16 on the commutator 15 are connected througl'i connections 17 and 18 wit-h the terminals of a storage battery 19. A circuit closer or switch 20, preferably of double pole type as shown, suit-ably placed tobe 0perated by the hand or foot of the operator, and an automatic circuit closer 23 are included in the connection 17. The field winding 21 for the armature is shown connected across the brushes 16 in a circuit or branch connected at 24 in the branch 24 and leading through the regulator 22 (hereinafter described) to the field coils 21, 21, and thence to the point 18 in the branch 18 of the circuit leading to the battery 19. The storage battery 19 is also connected to the brushes 1(3 of the dynamo-electric machine through a branch connection 24 which connection is controlled by an automatic circuit closer and has included in series therein a winding 26 for the circuit closer and a solenoid. 27.

The solenoid winding 27 controls the field regulator 22 through its action upon the core 28 which is pivotally connected to an arm 29 pivotally mounted at 30. The field regulator 22 is preferably, as indicated, of the form known as the carbon pile regulator which consists of a plurality of carbon plates in loose contact with one another, which contact is variable by variable pressure on the carbon pile. Such pressure is produced by the action of the solenoid 27 through its core 28 acting on the arm 29 which arm is thus made to exercise a pressure, corresponding to the current in. said solenoid upon the carbon pile 22, thus varying the resistance in the field winding of the dynamo machine. Any other suitable form of automatic regulator may be substituted for the one described, but it have found the latter satisfactory under working conditions. producing a responsive and sen sitive regulation, and therefore I have illustrated the same as a preferable form.

On the armature shaft 13 of the dynamoelectric machine are also mounted collector rings 31- 31 which are shown as arranged at the opposite end of the armature to the commutator 15. These collector rings are suitably connected to the windings of the armature 12. Brushes 32 are mounted to make contact with said rings to take off therefrom alternating current for the ignition spark through the branch connections 38, 33. The current from the collector rings 31 led by the circuit 33 through a transfOll'llOl or induction device 34 for stepping the potential of the current up. to the degree required to furnish a spark of a proper l I i character to secure the best ignition results. The transformer 34 is connected by the circuit 7, 7 already referred to, with the spark distributer or timer 6 and the spark plugs 4, 4.

The connections 17 and 24 between the storage battery 19 and the dynamo-electric machine are controlled by the automatic circuit closers 23 and 25 respectively by the following means: The circuit closers and 25 are mounted upon or connected with a commonstem or core 05. This core is situated within the field of a shunt winding 36 connected across the brushes 16 by connec-, tion 37 which may be conveniently tapped into the branch 24 and connection 38 extending to the branch or connection 18 as shown. The core 35 is also within the field of the series winding 26 in the connection 24. These windings are so made as to act in the same sense or direction upon the core 35, as will be more fully explained below. Connected in parallel with the battery as regards the dynamo-electric machine, is the lamp circuit 39 having included therein the required number of lamps 40 for the head, tail or interior lights.

The engine shaft 3 is operatively connected with the shaft 13 of the dynamoelectric machine by means of an automatic clutch 41. Such connection may conveniently be made through the medium of the pinion 8 on the engine shaft meshing with the gear 9 on the timer shaft and a pinion 42 mounted fast on an intermediate shaft 48 having loosely mounted thereon a pinion 44 meshing with a gear 45 fast on the arma ture shaft 13. The clutch 41 may be of any suitable and desired type. The form shown comprises the clutch member 41 mounted to rotate with and have sliding movement upon the shaft 43. The clutch member 41 is provided with any suitable friction or positive engaging means for engagement with the pinion 44. The clutch member 41 is automatically shifted along the shaft by any suitable, automatic clutch shifting mechanism, controlled by the speed of said shaft and therefore by the speed of the engineto which it is connected. Such automatic clutch operating mechanism as indicated in the drawings consists of a centrifugal device comprising the balls oiweights 46 mounted on said shaft through the medium of flat springs 47, one end of each of said springs being secured to a col lar 48 fastened on the shaft 43 and the other end of said springs being attached to a cross piece or plate 49 connected to a plun ger or slide rod 50 passing axially through the shaft 43 which is hollowed out to accommodate the same, said rod secured at its other end to the clutch member 41.

Before proceeding to describe the operation of the devices above described, and in order-to save time, I will now describe the constri'iction and arrangement of the embodiment of the invention including the self-starting device as SllOWIf in Fig. 2 of the drawings. As the construction and arrangement of parts in this embodiment of the invention are the same as in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 in many respects,

the foregoing description will suffice for parts which are common to the two embodiments, and it. will only be necessary to describe the features in which the embodiment in Fig. 2 differs from that shown in Fig. 1. Referring first to the dynamo-electric roachine, I provide, for this embodiment of the invention, in addition to the shunt field winding 21, a series field winding 51 connected in series with. the battery. This series winding is provided in this form of the invention in order to give a stiff field for the dynamo machine and thereby to obtain a-greater starting torque for the same to enable it to start the engine. The engine shaft 8 in this form of the invention is provided with modified mechanical connections with the armature 'shaft 13 which are as follows: This connection is through the medium of the pinion 8 meshing with'gear 9 which in turn meshes with a pinion 52 mounted fast upon an intcrn'iediate shaft 4-3. Loosely mounted upon the same shaft are the gear and the pinion 5t. An automatic clutch 41, of similar character to that described in the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1, is also mounted upon the same shaft 43, the clutch member of which has sliding movement on the shaft between the pinion and gear 5% and 53 and is arranged to have frictional or positive clutch engagement with either the pinion 54: or the gear The automatic operation of this clutch member in relation to the speed of the shaft 43 is obtained by means similar to that illustrated and described in Fig. 1. The gear 5?) is in mesh with a pinion 55 fast on the armature shaft 13 and the pinion 5-1 is in mesh with the gear {)6 also fast on the armature shaft. As no manual starting means are required for this embodiment of the invention, none are shown.

The operation of the devices shown and described is as follows: Referring to Fig. 1, when it desired to start the engine, switch 20 will he closed by the operator. The automatic circuit closer 23 will be in its lower position closing its contacts, as shown in the drawing, and the circuit closer 25 will be in its open position. Upon closing of the switch 20, current will flow from the battery through the connection 17. switch 30, circuit closer 23, to the armature of the dynamo machine through brushes 1G and commutator 15, back to the battery through the connection 18. The field windmg 2-1 becomes energized being connected in the shunt circuit from 24 through the regulator 22, the field coils 21 to the connection 18 in the branch 18 and the dynamo machine being'thus energized, starts working as a rotary converter, delivering alternating current through the collector rings 31, circuit 33, transformer and the igni-, tion clrcuit 7 to the spark plugs 4 the timing device for the spark will be arranged and adjusted as will be understood by those familiar with gas engines to time the spark at the maximum value of the current in the ignition circuit so that the full energy of the current may be applied at the time of the spark. The gear 45 on the shaft of the dynamo machine is in mesh with the loose pinion d f running idle on the intermediate shaft 43. The engine may then be started by the hand crank 11 and through the connection of the engine shaft 3 with the intermediate shaftat3, this shaft is rotated idly during the starting of the engine by reason of the fact that sulticient speed is not developed by turning over of the engine by hand to engage the automatic clutch ll. The igniti on circuit being energized as described and the engine started by hand will begin to work and rapidly speed up. As soon as the engine has speeded up, the centrifugal devices operating the automatic clutch will come into action and move the clutch member into engagement with the looose pinion eta clutching the same to the intermediate shaft 43, where upon the engine will begin to drive the dynamo machine, and cause the same to generate direct current at the brushes 16. Upon reaching the proper predetermined working voltage at the brushes 16, the shunt winding 36 connected across the same will receive sutlicient current to operate the automatic circuit closers 23 and 25, whereupon the dynamo will be closed on the batteries through the branch circuit 24 and the branch circuit 17 will beopened at the circuit closer 23. Operating now as a direct current generator, the dynamo machine will charge the batteries and supply the lights when needed, this charging current being maintained constant through the action of the regulating coil 27 acting on the variable field resistance if, for instance, the charging current should tend to rise beyond a predetermined amdunt, the winding 27 will operate the arm 29 byg t'lhe lifting of the solenoid core 28, relieving"the pressure on the carbon pile 22.

and thereby throwing resistance into the dynamo field.

Should the charging current tend to fall below that of the batteries, as for instance, by slowing up of the engine, so that the batteries would tend to feed to the dynamo, the current passing through the winding 26 of the. circuit closer will open the circuit through the branch 21 and close the same through the branch 17 and the dynamo machine would then operate as a motor or rotary converter, as before, and the ignition circuit would still be energized to furnish the spark for the engine. The winding 26 when the dynamo machine is supplying current to the batteries acts as a holding coil to hold the circuit closer 2-5 closed, but upon any tendency to a reversal of current in branch 24 the circuit closer 2will be opened as above described. It will be noted also that should the engine slacken speed, the automatic clutch device will operate to dis engage the clutch 4-1 from the pinion 4A and the engine will be thus disconnected from the armature shaft of the dynamo machine, which will then be driven as a motor as when starting. the engine by the battery current.

The operation of the modification shown in Fig. 2 will be readily understood from the foregoing description. When it is necessary to start the engine in this embodiment of theinvention, it will be apparent that no hand cranking is necessary. The operator merely closes the switch 20 whereupon the batteries will supply current to the series and shunt windings of the machine, the series winding adding its effect to the shunt winding and thereby furnishing a stiffer field and consequently suficient starting torque to drive the engine through its connections with the armature shaft 13. In these conditions the engine is driven through the low speed gearing 55 and 53, the automatic clutch device being in these circumstances in engagement with the gear 53 on the intermediate shaft. As soon as the engine starts and reaches speed, the automaticclutch device operates to disengage the clutch member 4C1 from the gear 53 and to engage the pinion 54c, whereupon the latter will d'J-ive the armature shaft in the same direction as before through the high speed gearing and the dynamo machine will generate direct current at the brushes 16. When this current has reached the proper predetermined voltage, the circuit closer 25 will. act to connect the brushes 16 with the battery circuit and supply charging current for the battery, and when necessary, current for the lights. it will be apparent that when the circuit closer 25 is closed circuit closer 23 will open and the series field windings will be cut out, the dynamo operating as a shunt wound machine. By providing the operatori's switch 20 of the double pole type and connecting it in both the dynamo and ignition circuits, the electrical circuits, including the ignition circuit, are all cut out when the switch is opened, and the whole apparatus is rendered dead without the necessity of cutting off the fuel supply.

From the foregoing specification, it will.

be seen that the invention provides a single and uniform ignition system requiring no attention on the part of the operator to change over from a battery spark to a mechanically developed spark or vice versa and that the electrical conditions in the ignition circuit are maintained uniform, giving a spark of constant and uniform character regardless of variations in speed of the engine. The field of the dynamo machine is automatically regulated by the field regulator, so that both the ignition circuit and the battery and lamp circuit are regulated automatically to maintain constant electrical conditions therein.

In addition to the foregoing, it have also provided a direct and efficient means for dis pensing with the hand starting of theengine, so that in the case of a motor vehicle,

it is not necessary for the operator to leave his seat when starting the engine.

It will be obvious that the hand switch ZlSgNVt-Zll as the electrical regulating devices may be mounted at any convenient accessible place on the vehicle or boat, as, for instance, on the dashboard or seat of the vehicle.

It will be understood that various changes or modifications in details may be made without'departing from the invention, such, for instance, as variations from the precise form of gear connections between the engine shaft, the intermediate shaft and the dynamo shaft. Also various forms of automatic clutches or clutch connections between the engine shaft and the dynamo shaft may be employed. Also other forms of field regulation, circuit closers; the like may be employed without departing from or sacrificing the principles and advantages of the invention.

'What I claim is:

1. The combination. with a gas engine and an ignition circuit therefor, of a dynamoelect-ric machine, autoniatically operating clutch driving connections between the engine and the shaft of the dynamo-electric machine, said clutch comiections being controlled by the speed of the engine, a commutator and collector rings connected to the armature windings of the dynamo electric machine, means for sum lying direct current to the commutator and connections between said collector rings and the ignition circuit of the engine.

2. The combination with a gas engine and an ignition circuit therefor, of a dynamoelectric machine of the rotary converter type, of interchangeable driving connections between said engine and the shaft of the dynamo-electric machine, whereby said shaft may be connected to drive the engine or to be driven thereby, means dependent upon the speed of the engine for effecting such interchange, connection between the alternating current side of the dynamo-electric machine and the ignition circuit of the en gine and a source of direct current connected to the direct current side of said dynamo-electric machine.

3. The combination with a gas engine and an ignition circuit therefor, of a dynanio electric machine of the rotary converter type, automatic clutch driving connections dependent upon the speed of the engine between the shaft of said machine and the engine operating to drive said shaft and to cause said shaft to be driven by the engine when the latter is at operating speed, a storage battery connected to the direct current side of said machine, connection between the alternating current side of said machine and the ignition circuit of the engine, an automatic field regulator for said machine and an automatic circuit closer between the battery and the direct current terminals of said machine.

4. The combination with a gas engine and the ignition circuit therefor, of a dynamoelectric machine of the rotary converter type, automatic clutch driying connections dependent upon the speed of the engine be tween the shaft of said dynamo machine and the engine, connection between the alternating current terminals of said machine and the ignition circuit of the engine, a storage battery and a lamp circuit connected in parallel with the direct current terminals of said machine, an automatic field regulator for said machine, and an automatic circuit closer between the battery and lamp circuit and said direct current terminals.

5. The combination with a gas engine, of direct and alternating current circuits, a dynamo electric machine having its armature connected to both said circuits, spark terminals for the engine in the alternating current circuit, a storage battery connected to the direct current terminals and driving connections between the engine shaft and the armature of the dynamo.

(5. The combination with a gas engine, of a dynamo electric machine having two sets of terminals, one of said terminals delivering alternating current and connected to the ignition system of the gas engine, a storage battery and regulating devices for the dy' namo machine connected to the direct cur rent terminals of the dynamo electric machine, interchangeable clutch driving connections between the engine shaft and the armature of the dynamo electric machine whereby the engine shaft may drive or be driven from said dynamo electric machine.

7. The combination with a gas engine and an ignition circuit therefor, of a dynamoelectric machine of the rotary converter type, connections from the alternating current terminals of said machine'to the ignition circuit of the engine, a. storage battery connected to the direct current terminals of said dynamo machine, series and 8. The combination witha gas engine and an ignition circuit therefor, of a dynamoelectric machine of the rotary converter type, connections from the alternating current terminals of the dynamo machine to the ignition circuit of the engine, interchangeable automatic clutch driving con nect-ions controlled by the speed of the engine between the armature shaft and the engine, whereby the engine may drive or be driven from said armature shaft, storage battery and lamp circuit connected in parallel with the direct current terminals of the dynamo machine, shunt and series field windings for said dynamo machine, branch circuits connecting the battery to the direct current terminals of the dynamo machine, and an automatic circuit closer for controlling said branch circuits, said circuit closer dependent upon the voltage of the dynamo machine.

9. The combination with a gas engine and an ignition circuit therefor, of a dynamoelectric machine of the rotary converter type, connections from the alternating current terminals of said machine to the ignition circuit of the engine, automatic clutch driving connections dependent upon the speed of the engine, between the engine and the armature shaft of said'dynamo ma chine, a storage battery and a lamp circuit, branch circuits connecting the battery with the direct current terminals of said machine, one of saidbranches being a discharging circuit from the battery to the dynamo machine, and the other being a charging circuit from the dynamo machine to the battery, an automatic circuit closer controlled by the voltage of the dynamo machine for closing the battery charging circuit, a se'ries winding in said charging circuit for'operating said circuit closer and causing the same to open the circuit when the battery tends to discharge theret-hrough.

10. The combination with a gas engine and an ignition circuit therefor, of a dynamo-electric machine having two sets of terminals, one set of said trminalsvdelivering alternate current and connected to the ig nition circuit of the gas engine, a storage battery, a charging and discharging circuit connecting said battery to the other set of dynamo terminals, an automatic circuit closer dependent upon the voltage of the dynamo in the battery charging circuit'tor opening and closing said circuit, automatic clutch driving connections between the engine and the'armature shaft of the dynamo, and means dependent upon the speed of the engine for operating said clutch connections.

11. The combination With a gas engine and an ignition circuit therefor, of a dynamo-electric machine of the rotary converter type, connections from the alternating current terminals of said machine to the ignition circuit of the engine, a storage buttery, discharging and charging connections between said battery and the direct current terminals of said dynamo machine, an automatic circuit closer in the battery charging circuit dependent upon the voltage of the dynamo machine, an automatic field regulating'device for said dynamo machine, a

memes operating clutch driving connections be tween the engine and the shaft ofthe dynamo'electric machine, said clutch connection being controlled by the speed of the engine, direct and alternating current circuits connected to the terminals of said dynamo machine, a storage battery connected in the direct current circuit, ignition spark terminals connected in the alternating current circuit, and a switch for simultaneously opening and closing both said circuits.

JOHN W. JEPSQN. /Vitnesses ALEX. MOGARY, H. C. l VORKMAN. 

